Deal breaks judicial deadlock

[icymist]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001932863_judges19m.html


Wednesday, May 19, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.

Deal breaks judicial deadlock

By Seattle Times staff and news services

Two highly regarded nominees for federal judgeships in Washington are on the verge of being confirmed after the White House and U.S. Senate Democrats yesterday broke their deadlock over judicial appointments.
U.S. Magistrate Ricardo Martinez would become the first Latino to sit on the federal bench in Washington state.

Martinez and James Robart, managing partner of Lane Powell Spears Lubersky of Seattle, as well as 23 other nominees from around the country, should have Senate confirmation by the end of June, said Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D. Robart and Martinez would join the federal bench as U.S. District Court judges for Western Washington.

Martinez and Robart were nominated in August, and both have bipartisan support. Since March, Senate Democrats had been holding up all judicial nominees in retaliation against President Bush, who appointed two controversial conservative judges, William Pryor and Charles Pickering, during Senate recesses, temporarily avoiding the need for Senate confirmation.

Daschle agreed to allow votes on a group of noncontroversial judicial nominees in exchange for a White House pledge not to make so-called recess appointments.

(more)

[PaDUer]

1. Daschle's a WIMP! n/t

[Moderator]

2. duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x563844